[We received information from friends in Germany regarding mass media manipulation of recent activist’s work presented in our blog. A German newspaper (Süddeutsche Zeitung – SZ, 20th Feb issue) published a photo of Greek protesters spelling “We thank you” commenting that the Greeks say thank you to Germany and its government for the 2nd bailout.]

Thank you so much for your interest and support.The occupation of our hospital in Kilkis by its workers started on Monday, February 20th, at 8:30 local time and we are continuing with the same strength since then, hoping that we’ll win.

This occupation is not only about us, the physicians and the workers at the Kilkis Hospital. Neither is it only about the Greek National Health System, which is collapsing, indeed. We are in this fight because what is in real danger now is the human rights and our lives. And this threat is not against just a nation, or against a few countries, or a few social groups, but against the low and middle classes in Europe, America, Asia, Africa, in the whole world.

Today’s Greece, is tomorrow’s picture of Portugal, Spain, Italy and the rest of the countries worldwide.

The term “diversity of tactics” is used to distinguish direct tactics that include property damage and armed retaliation against the police from nonviolent direct action and extremist tactics such as planting bombs and armed insurrection.

By now several thousands progressives and liberals have read the article “The Cancer in Occupy,” by Chris Hedges from February 6. In the article, Hedges condemns the so-called “Black Bock Movement” and “Black Bloc anarchists” for a variety of sins that include breaking store and car windows, burning flags, and swearing and throwing tear gas canisters at the police. There is a major problem with the whole premise of the article. As Hedges’ critics are quick to point out, “black bloc” (lower case) refers to tactics – there is no such thing as a “Black Block Movement” or “Black Bloc anarchists.” However unless they are regular readers of anarchist and left libertarian websites and blogs, activists are unlikely to have seen the numerous critiques of “The Cancer in Occupy” that correct this and other factual errors in Hedges’ article.

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Catalunya is one of the few regions in Europe where the police use rubber bullets during demonstrations and public events. These weapons have caused numerous injuries. Since 1990 there have been 23 people in Spain that have lost an eye from the impact of a projectile of this type. 5 of these cases were caused in our region, mostly in recent years. To these you can add other serious injuries on different body parts – chest, jaw, ear, legs, etc. – which leads to the conclusion that every time you fire, rubber bullets cause serious effects on external people in any altercation.Due to the increase in affected citizens, Stop Rubber Bullets was born on September 3, 2010, an association created with theaim of banning the use of this weapon by the Catalan police. We understood that victims needed to condemn the dangers of this weapon so it shall no longer be used. We also wanted to highlight a great injustice: in none of our cases a policeman had been condemned, and those responsible continued – and continue – working for the safety of citizens.

We, the Greek committee against the debt, take the initiative to address ourselves to you and invite you to propose, prepare and organize a large, united, militant and massive European day of solidarity with the Greek people. An action against austerity policies, privatizations and the dismantling of public services across Europe, with the objective of the cancellation of the Greek public debt. The reason for our proposal is clear: using Greek debt as a pretext, the Troika (IMF, European Central Bank and European Commission) has transformed Greece into a laboratory for the most inhumane and barbaric austerity policies, that are nondemocratic and antisocial. To test the endurance and resilience of the Greek people, turned into guinea pigs, the Troika opens a leeway to widespread application of these same policies all over Europe. However, at present, two years after the release of this frontal assault against the Greek ‘guinea pig’, there is no place left for doubt: on the streets and squares of Greece people are fighting for the fate of Greek society, for national sovereignty and the so brutalized Greek democracy, for workers and pensioners, for the unemployed, the young, women and all the oppressed of our country. But what is also at stake is the fate of the vast majority of European citizens, for which the Troika, the undemocratic reaction block and big capital are reserving the same future.

So yes, we are not afraid to say it: what Spain was in 1936 for the Europe ‘from those below’, is the same struggle of Greece in 2012 for the Europe of today. 1936 was a defeat because the triumphant Spanish resistance to fascism was tragically left alone and unaided. Needless of recalling the nightmare consequences of the defeat of the Spanish ‘guinea pig’ and open wounds left behind up to today.

The question we address is therefore simple: are we willing to let history repeat itself? Can we accept a crushing defeat of the current Greek ‘guinea pig’, which would have long-term tragic consequences for all people and workers in Europe?

Dear friends, dear comrades,

We are sure that your answer is a resounding “NO”. But that is not enough in the present state of things. At a time in which time is desperately pressing down, because the Greek people do not have an unlimited resistance against an international over armed enemy, very well organized and coordinated, the situation calls for the first demonstration of European direct solidarity, loud and massive. In other words, we need-in short, a Europe-wide mobilization ‘from below’, with a double function: first, to show the Greeks in battle that they are not alone, that their struggle is part of the fight of most oppressed European, and therefore have more opportunities to win. On the other hand, to take the first step towards creating and developing a massive European movement of resistance, that we are so much in need for.